Twelfth Night

Synopsis

Or What You Will. Shakespeare comedy of mistaken identity, practical jokes and unrequited love. Rescued from a shipwreck the twins Viola and Sebastian arrive independently in Illyria, both thinking the other is drowned. Viola disguises herself as a boy and finds employment with the Duke who is in love with Olivia. Malvolio is the subject of a cruel joke played on him by Sir Toby Belch (yellow stockings cross-gartered) leading him to believe that Olivia loves him. But Olivia has fallen in love with the disguised Viola, while she is in love with the Duke (following it so far?!).

Our Review:

3 September 2008

This is one of the best Twelfth Nights I’ve ever seen. A great play of love, sexual confusion, debauchery and humiliation is re-launched by Filter (in association with the RSC) and directed by Sean Holmes as an improvised rave with an electronic sound track, audience participation, gale warnings on the transistor radio and an Andrew Aguecheek whose “back kicks” are somersaults.

The impudence of all this does not undermine the play but offers genuine enhancement and a sort of glowing sense of ecstasy not often achieved by more classical versions. “Youth’s a stuff will not endure,” indeed, and our dead of night singing expands to include a soft ball throwing interlude and pizzas passed round the stalls. “Are you mad?” enquires Malvolio at the moment of climactic frenzy, fixing us all with a basilisk stare.

It’s soon his turn, anyway: Ferdy Roberts’ slow-burn steward, who resembles a shaggy-haired Alan Bates invaded by the spirit of...

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Latest User Review

Kevin - 3 September 2008:

Absolutely loved it. Right from the radio 4 storm broadcast opening, through pizza deliveries, ball throwing and tequila slammers with audience participation. But there are serious moments as well and these are handled superbly, with some great acting throughout. Dont miss it. ...

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